Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

It’s a good question. As Redskins fans, we’re very familiar — some might say TOO familiar — with the way unrestricted free agency works: a player becomes a free agent, and anyone can offer him a contract. He chooses from the offers he’s received, and the next thing you know he’s standing behind a podium talking about how excited he is to be in his new city. Eventually, he plays in some football games. The end.

Restricted free agency is a bit more complicated; its basics are straightforward enough, but things can get a little convoluted in the details.

Here’s the basics of restricted free agency:
A player who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent can be offered (or “tendered”) a contract from his current team by the start of the Free Agency Period — midnight on Thursday, this year — at which point he actually becomes a Restricted Free Agent. What this means depends on the tender offer (more on that in a minute), but the short version is that his current team has the right to match any offer he gets from another team, and may receive compensation from the other team if the player is signed.

If the team elects NOT to tender an offer to the player — which is what San Diego has said they will be doing with running back Darren Sproles — that player becomes a free agent who can sign with any team in the NFL.

Like I said, though, this really becomes confusing in the details of the tender offers, and what compensation the team would receive for each one. Fortunately for all of us, the NFL Labor website has a handy FAQ that lists out those levels of tender very clearly:

Player with THREE Accrued Seasons

Right of First Refusal – $1,101,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player’s original draft round – $1,101,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick – $1,684,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick – $2,396,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks – $3,043,000*

*or 110% of player’s 2009 Paragraph 5 Salary, whichever is greater

Player with FOUR Accrued Seasons

Right of First Refusal – $1,176,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player’s original draft round – $1,176,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick – $1,759,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick – $2,521,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks – $3,168,000*

*or 110% of player’s 2009 Paragraph 5 Salary, whichever is greater

Player with FIVE Accrued Seasons

Right of First Refusal – $1,226,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player’s original draft round – $1,226,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick – $1,809,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick – $2,621,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks – $3,268,000*

*or 110% of player’s 2009 Paragraph 5 Salary, whichever is greater

And here is how the Redskins’ ten restricted free agents break down in terms of accrued seasons:

Three accrued seasons:

DL Lorenzo Alexander

OT Stephon Heyer

OL Will Montgomery

DE/LB Chris Wilson

Four accrued seasons:

S Reed Doughty

DL Kedric Golston

LB Rocky McIntosh

DT Anthony Montgomery

Five accrued seasons:

QB Jason Campbell

CB Carlos Rogers

So the next time you see a blog post with the headline “Redskins Tender [Some Guy],” it will make perfect sense. The rest of it — the podium and the happy to be in a new city and the eventually playing football games … that part pretty much stays the same.

(I’m also happy to answer questions in the comments, so there are some more details there.)